WO2015132312A1

WO2015132312A1 - Supervision system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2015132312A1
Application number: PCT/EP2015/054548
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick PLECZON
Original assignee: Airbus Defence And Space Sas
Priority date: 2014-03-04
Filing date: 2015-03-04
Publication date: 2015-09-11
Also published as: FR3018375A1; EP3114619A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of supervising device-related activities to be carried out. Specifically, the invention relates to the systems and methods making it possible to display, over time, an activity plan. The system includes: a scheduler; an engine for carrying out an activity plan; an engine (208) for carrying out a step plan; and a visual display device (209). It then also becomes possible, for example, to display an activity plan incorporating a decision-making dimension with an iterative looping dimension. To this end, according to the invention, an activity belongs to one of the following two task categories: high-level general tasks, which can be described as "job" activities; and low-level tasks that are more refined than the high-level tasks (hereinafter referred to as "steps"). According to the invention, an activity can be associated with one or more steps.

Description

Supervision system and method

Technical area

The present invention relates to the field of supervision of activities to be performed, related to a device. More particularly, it relates to systems and methods for monitoring a device while temporally viewing a business plan.

Prior art

In supervisory centers, such as satellite control centers, it is often necessary to view a plan of upcoming activities related to devices under supervision. These business plans are often represented visually in the form of tables or Gantt charts. The activities of a plan are planned manually or through a scheduler such as planning software. Manual scheduling is little used because it is tedious while a scheduler automatically positions activities in a business plan, taking into account constraints, including time, but also constraints that may depend on the availability of certain resources. Subsequently, a plan execution engine is used to execute, at the scheduled time of the scheduler, each activity of the business plan.

[0003] It turns out that it is quite difficult to visually represent alternatives in the diagrams representing the activity plans. For example, if there are several alternatives for a business plan that depend on particular conditions, it is not possible to represent these choices visually and simply in a business plan. In practice, only one of the alternatives is displayed and when the conditions are met (e.g. an anomaly not foreseen on a device under supervision), the operator must:

- interrupt the execution of the current plan;

- identify the type of situation associated with the conditions observed; and,

- execute instead of the current plan, a plan adapted to situation that has been identified. This solution does not appear satisfactory. Indeed, identifying an appropriate situation among several possible situations is not always easy. Thus, for example, the supervision of a single satellite can generate a multitude of possible situations, in particular because the satellites include a large number of complex equipment which are each likely to be the victim of one or more anomalies. If we increase the number of satellites supervised by an operator, this multiplicity of situations makes its task more and more difficult. It then becomes essential for the operators of supervision centers to have the possibility of having the automatic management of certain tasks while having an effective visualization allowing them manual interventions while visualizing the alternatives of a business plan without the disadvantages of the state of the art.

[Presentation of the invention

The present invention aims to overcome this drawback of the prior art by proposing a supervision system of a device comprising the visualization of a business plan, the business plan being associated with the supervision of a device. Thanks to the invention, it is thus possible to visualize an activity plan incorporating a decision dimension with an iterative looping dimension, which makes it easier for an operator of a supervision center to manage a plurality of devices at the same time. .

For this purpose, according to a first aspect of the invention, it is intended a supervision system of a device comprising the visualization of a business plan, the business plan being associated with the supervision of the device . The system includes:

a scheduler configured to obtain the activity plan and a step plan from at least one activity and a time constraint, the activity plan being associated with the step plan;

an activity execution engine configured to execute at least one activity of the activity plan;

a step execution engine operably coupled to the activity execution engine and configured to execute sequentially the steps associated with an activity being executed, the transition from one step to another being conditioned by at least one predefined passage rule, not based on time; and,

a visual display device operatively coupled to the activity execution engine and the step execution engine, the visual display device configured to:

displaying, as a function of time, a first execution state associated with the activity plan, in the form of an acyclic oriented graph, in which an activity is represented in the form of a first graphic object; and,

- Display a second execution state associated with the step plan, in the form of a step flow diagram, wherein a step is represented by a second graphical object.

The display of the first execution status is associated with the display of the second execution status.

With these provisions, at least two displays are presented to the operator, one of which gives a global view, in real time, of the activities performed and the other a detailed and accurate view of the tasks performed for a given activity. .

According to one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the system further comprises:

an event detection device operatively coupled to the supervised device and the step execution engine, the event detection device being configured to detect at least one event associated with the supervised device. Based on at least one detected event, the execution engine is further configured to execute at least one step associated with the detected event.

It is advantageous to be able to automatically perform certain appropriate steps following the detection of certain events.

According to one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the event detection device is additionally operably coupled to the scheduler. On the basis of at least one detected event, the scheduler is further configured to schedule the execution of at least one activity associated with the detected event.

It is advantageous to be able to schedule the execution of certain activities following the detection of certain events. These activities and the associated steps must indeed be performed under the supervision of at least one operator.

[001 1] According to another embodiment of the first aspect of the invention the step execution engine is further configured to determine whether a passing rule is observed based on at least one logic element and / or or a detected event.

It is advantageous to be able to add logic in the execution of the stage plan such as conditional branching and / or iterative loopbacks in order to be able to propose to the operator alternatives to changes in the stage plan. In addition, going from one step to another following the detection of an event makes the system more flexible.

According to one of the embodiments of the third aspect of the invention, the system further comprises:

a notification device operatively coupled to the step execution engine and the visual display device, the notification device configured to:

notifying at least one operator of the system, information associated with at least one step; and,

- Offer the operator, via the visual display device, to give a response to the notification.

The step execution engine is further configured to determine whether a passing rule is observed based on at least the operator response.

It is advantageous to be able to include human activities (e.g. notices) in the loop of the automated system without breaking the flow.

According to one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention the visual display device is further configured to represent the first execution state within a first viewing window, the second state of the invention. execution within a second window of visualization, the second viewing window being automatically displayed in response to the start of a step type or following the appearance of a runtime error.

According to one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention the visual display device comprises a pointing device, the visual display device being further configured to represent the first execution state inside the device. a first viewing window, the second execution state within a second viewing window, the second viewing window being displayed in response to a signal from the pointing device following the selection of a second viewing window; graphical object in the first viewing window.

It is advantageous to be able to see the viewing windows only when the operator deems it necessary.

According to one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the visual display device is further configured to represent the size of the first graphic object as a function of a maximum duration of the associated steps.

It is advantageous to be able to indicate to the operator a degree of completion of activities in progress.

According to one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention the visual display device is further configured to associate to the first and second graphic object, the same indicative graphic attribute of the second execution state such as a color. , a pattern or a symbol.

It is advantageous to be able to consolidate the display of the business plan taking into consideration the execution status of the associated steps.

According to one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention the device under supervision is a satellite.

The invention also aims in a second aspect, a method of monitoring a device comprising the visualization of a business plan, the business plan being associated with the supervision of the device.

The method is characterized by comprising the further steps of:

- obtain the business plan and a plan of steps from at least one activity and a temporal constraint, the activity plan being associated with the stage plan;

- perform at least one activity of the business plan;

sequentially executing the steps associated with a running activity, the transition from one step to another being conditioned by at least one predefined passage rule, not based on time;

The display of the first execution state being associated with the display of the second execution status.

In addition, the invention aims in a third aspect, a computer program product, characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for the implementation of a method according to the second aspect of the invention. invention when the program is run on a computer.

Similarly, the invention aims in a fourth aspect, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium, storing a computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer or a processor to implement a computer program. a method according to the second aspect of the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

Other embodiments, objects and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. on which ones :

[0027] FIG. 1 schematically shows a diagram relating to a business plan visualization system of the prior art; [0028] FIG. 2 schematically shows a diagram relating to the visualization of an activity plan represented on a viewing window and implemented by the system of FIG. 1;

[0029] - FIGS. 3A-B schematically show two examples of diagram relating to the visualization of activity plans incorporating alternatives, represented on viewing windows and implemented by the FIG system. 1;

[0030] FIG. 4 schematically shows a diagram relating to the activity plan display system implemented according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0031] FIGS. 5 and 6 schematically show two examples of diagram relating to the visualization of activity plans incorporating alternatives, represented on viewing windows and implemented by the system of FIG. 4;

[0032] FIG. 7 schematically shows a diagram of an exemplary method implemented by the system of FIG. 4.

Way (s) to realize the invention

It is considered that the general principles of operation of a supervision system including visualization are known and therefore will not be detailed further here. In particular, it will be recognized that the supervision systems described below include one or more display screens adapted to display a business plan in part or in its entirety.

In the following description, we consider the case of a supervision system for viewing temporally one or more operations (hereinafter activities) to achieve vis-à-vis a device under supervision. These activities can be carried out by human operators or by computerized systems. Without limitation, we will focus on devices under supervision such as satellites (eg telecommunications satellites, observation satellites) some of whose activities are generally managed in satellite control centers. In fact, telecommunications satellites that are geostationary are controlled in real time on the ground by operators to perform activities such as repositioning the satellite in its orbit and controlling its various devices (eg batteries, tanks). Some of these activities are carried out by computerized systems such as sending commands to the satellite or recovering measurements from the satellite on the ground. Other activities are carried out by humans such as, for example, calculating the trajectory of the satellite (ie evolution over time of the position of the satellite) in order to perform for example a "nozzle firing" to correct the position of the satellite .

Nevertheless, the present invention can be applied more broadly to any industrial system comprising devices under supervision (e.g., supervision of industrial processes, supervision of factories, etc.).

In FIG. 1, there is shown a prior art supervision system 100 comprising the visualization of a business plan and comprising:

a scheduler 103;

an activity execution engine 105; and,

an activity plan display device 106.

In the system of FIG. 1, the activities 101 to be carried out as a function of time are planned by the scheduler 103 which thus generates a business plan 104. The scheduler 103 is often based on a planning software capable of positioning in the business plan 104 activities 101 while taking into account constraints 102 which may be time constraints but also constraints of available resources, as indicated above. From the business plan 104, the business plan execution engine 105 is able to execute at the scheduled time by the scheduler 103 each of the scheduled tasks. The execution engine 105 is also able to control various applications, especially when the activities are fully automated. Finally, the activity plan display device 106 coupled to the execution engine 105 is able to visually represent the activity plan in a display screen, often in real time. In FIG. 2, there is shown such a display window 1 in which three activities A-1, A-2 and A-3 are represented with A-1 preceding A-2 and A-2 preceding A-3. In FIG. 2, the time is also represented as well as a progress bar 1 1 1 indicating the current time and making it possible to determine which activity is being executed by the execution engine 105. For example, in FIG. 2, activity A-1 is running and activities A-2 and A-3 have not yet been performed.

The business plan 104 is shown in FIG. 2 in the form of a Gantt chart. Nevertheless, a representation in the form of a table is also common. More generally, the visual representations of activities over time can be likened to an acyclic oriented graph of the activities to be performed, represented temporally. But if the visualization of activities over time is an indispensable element of supervision, one of the main technical limitations of this approach is that it appears rather difficult to represent a business plan 104 incorporating alternatives for which the operator is led to take one or more decisions. For example, in FIG. 3A it is represented in the viewing window 1 10, a business plan 104 incorporating a conditional choice 1 12. Thus in FIG. 3A, when activity A-2 is complete, the operator must decide whether:

it is the activity A-3.1 which must be executed by the execution engine 105 if the condition C1 is observed; or,

it is the activity A-3.2 which must be executed by the execution engine 105 if the condition C2 is observed.

In the example of FIG. 3A, we see that activity A-4 will start earlier if activity A-3.2 is executed because the activity lasts less than activity A-3.1. Moreover, we note that the activity A-4 is represented twice. But does that mean that you have to run it twice? As can be seen, this representation is quite ambiguous and therefore subject to a potentially erroneous interpretation by the supervision operator. In another example illustrated by FIG. 3B, it is represented in the viewing window 1 10, a business plan 104 integrating a conditional choice 1 12 involving an iteration loop 1 13. Thus in FIG. 3B, when the activity A-2 is completed, the operator must decide whether:

it is the activity A-2.1 which must be executed by the execution engine 105 if the condition C3 is observed. This choice will result, when the A-2.1 activity is completed, that the activity A-2 will be executed again in the context of the iteration loop 1 13; or,

it is the activity A-3 which must be executed by the execution engine 105 if the condition C4 is observed.

In the example of FIG. 3B, we see that it is not possible to correctly represent the iteration loop 1 13. Indeed, since it is not possible to go back in time, the progress bar of the current time 1 1 1 can not indicate that an iterative loopback is in progress. Moreover, since the iteration loop 1 13 can be executed several times according to the circumstances, it is very difficult to know if the iteration loop 1 13 is executed and / or at which iteration it is find. Thus, with the display system 100, the current time progress bar 11 may be at activity A-3, indicating that activity A-3 is executed, while perhaps the iteration loop 1 13 is running. As we can see again, this representation is quite ambiguous and even misleading for a supervisor. These problems are all the more sensitive as an operator of a satellite control center manages several satellites at the same time (eg up to 50 satellites at the same time). Thus, it is understandable that doubt must be reduced to a minimum in satellite control centers. Indeed, one of the operations commonly performed by an operator is to maintain the satellite in its orbital window. In the absence of good decisions taken at the appropriate times, the satellite can come out of this window which would cause problems of degradation of the quality of service of the satellite and disruption of neighboring satellites. In conclusion, the display system 100 is not satisfactory in its current representation of business plans in which one or more alternatives must be integrated to assist the operator in achieving his mission.

It is therefore proposed, according to the invention, a visualization system for integrating alternatives into a business plan. Thus, it becomes possible, for example, to visualize an activity plan incorporating a decision dimension with an iterative looping dimension. For this, according to the invention, an activity belongs to one of the following two categories of tasks, of different granularity:

- the high-level tasks that are global (hereinafter, activities). We can talk about them about "business" activities; and,

- low-level tasks that are more refined than high-level tasks (hereinafter, steps).

According to the invention, an activity can be associated with one or more steps. To clarify the distinction and the relationship that exists between the activities and the stages, let us take for example the case of a maneuver of a north-south type satellite. In this case, the activities (i.e. high-level tasks) required for this maneuver can be presented as follows:

- (a) measuring the position of the satellite;

- (b) calculation of the orbit from the measurements;

- (c) calculation of the maneuver parameters to be applied to the satellite;

- (d) loading the maneuver on board the satellite;

- (e) execution of the maneuver;

- (f) evaluation of the amount of fuel used during the maneuver;

- (g) establishment of a status report following the maneuver; and,

- (h) measuring the position of the satellite in order to check the quality of the maneuver.

According to the invention, the activity (c) can be associated with the following steps (i.e. low level tasks):

- (1) verification of orbit determination residues;

- (2) automatic calculation of the maneuver;

- (3) validation of the parameters of the maneuver by a supervisory authority; and, - (4) manual calculation by an operator if the automatic calculation has failed.

Steps (1) and (2) can be performed by a computer system while steps (3) and (4) are manual. In the invention, the transition from a current activity to the subsequent activity is in particular as a function of time, that is to say by time constraint (so-called precedence). Nevertheless, resource constraints can also be taken into consideration. With regard to the steps, the transition from a current step to the subsequent step is done according to at least one predefined passage rule that does not depend on time. For example, a passing rule may depend on the value of certain parameters, logic elements, and / or the operator's opinion. These aspects of the invention will appear more clearly in the light of the description of the visualization system which implements them.

In the example of FIG. 4, according to the invention, there is shown a display system 200 adapted to visualize in time, a business plan, comprising:

a scheduler 204;

a business plan execution engine 207;

a step plan execution engine 208; and,

a visual display device 209.

In the system 200 of FIG. 4, the scheduler 204 is configured to obtain a business plan 205 and a step plan 206 from at least one activity 201 and a time constraint 203. The constraint 203 may further depend on available resource (s), for example at the satellite or ground control equipment. In one implementation, the scheduler 204 is configured to obtain the activity plans 205 and steps 206 from activities 201 and steps 202 in addition to the constraint 203. The activities 201, steps 202 and constraints 203 may be provided as one or more files. For example, one or more text or XML files may be used to define the activities 201, the steps 202 and / or the constraints 203. Similarly, the relationships of interdependence that may exist between the activities 201, steps 202 and / or constraints 203 can be described by these same means or others having the same purpose. In another implementation, the scheduler 204 is configured to obtain the activity plans 205 and steps 206 from a pre-existing business plan 104, such as those created by the scheduler 103 of FIG. 1. Indeed, a purely acyclic business plan 104 can be divided into a business plan 205 and a step plan 206 from the scheduler 204 according to the invention. Indeed, it is often possible to group a set of activities of a business plan 104 that are connected to each other and to represent them in the form of a flow of steps. This implementation may require, depending on the case, the human intervention to distinguish the activities 201 from the steps 202.

In FIG. 4, the activity execution engine 207 is configured to execute at least one activity of the activity plan 205. The step execution engine 208 is configured to execute the steps of the step plan 206 sequentially. In addition, the step execution engine 208 is operably coupled to the activity execution engine 207 so that the steps of the step plan 206 associated with the activity that is being executed by the activity execution engine 205. As indicated above, the transition from one step to another is conditioned by at least one predefined passage rule, not based on time. This contrasts with the activities for which the execution of the next activity depends mainly on time. The step execution engine 208 is also configured to determine if the pass rule is observed.

In the example of FIG. 4, the visual display 209 is operatively coupled to the activity execution engine 207 and the step execution engine 208. The visual display 209 of FIG. 4 is configured to display, as a function of time, a first execution state associated with the activity plan 205, in the form of an acyclic oriented graph. For example, the first execution state may indicate whether an activity of the activity plan 205 is pending, started, terminated, in error or out of time. At the level of the visual representation, an activity can be represented as a first graphic object to which graphic attributes associated with the first execution state can be assigned. Thus, for example, the first graphic object may have as a graphic attribute one or a combination of the following attributes: a color, a pattern or a symbol. In FIG. 4, the visual display device 209 is further configured to display a second execution state associated with the step plane 206, in the form of a step flow diagram. In the second execution state, a step is represented as a second graphical object that may have the same graphical attributes as the first object. Advantageously, the visual display device 209 is further configured to associate the display of the first execution state with that of the second execution state. For example, the visual display device 209 may be configured to associate to the first and second graphic objects, the same indicative graphic attribute of the second execution state. As a result, the execution state of an activity attached to steps is directly related to the execution state of (s) these step (s). For example, if the green color is assigned to a running step, the corresponding activity will also be shown in green to indicate that the corresponding "business" activity is running. Similarly, if the red color is assigned to a step in error, the associated activity will also be shown in red to indicate that there is an error in this business activity. This feature provides the operator with a consolidated view of the business plan 205 that is accessible by looking only at the display associated with the business plan 205. Conventionally, when an activity comprising only automated steps is course, the operator will only have to follow the execution of the "business" activity as long as no error is reported.

In a first implementation of the invention, the system 200 also comprises an event detection device 210 operatively coupled to the supervised satellite and the execution engine of steps 208. The event detection device 210 is configured to detect at least one event associated with the supervised satellite. Thus, based on at least one detected event, the step execution engine 208 may also be configured to execute at least one step associated with the detected event. For example, this so-called "exceptional" step, because dependent on the occurrence of a particular event, can be executed automatically or at a predetermined date. This may be the case for steps that do not require special attention on the part of the operator and that can be executed automatically. For example, in the area of satellites, if an anomaly is detected, it is then possible to have the steps execution engine 208 execute automatically one or more steps of thorough diagnosis or problem solving. On the other hand, for other "exceptional" steps, which require special attention, it is possible to schedule their execution at a later date so that the operator is present during their execution. Thus, in a variant of the first implementation, the event detection device 210 may also be functionally coupled to the scheduler 204. The scheduler 204 is then able to schedule the execution of at least an activity associated with the detected event, that is to say according to the nature of the detected event. Thus, for example, in the satellite domain, if an anomaly is detected on one of the devices in a period when the operators are not present, it is possible to plan an activity related to the correction of the anomaly on their return. In this first implementation of the invention, the step execution engine 208 is further configured to determine whether a passing rule is observed based on at least one logic element and / or a detected event. According to the invention, it is envisaged as logic element all the conditional branches for controlling the execution of a step and implying that a choice must be made on the progress of the execution of the steps of a plan of Steps 206. For example, are included:

- the decision and the exclusive merger with the exclusive OR; - the decision and the inclusive merger with the logical OR;

- the decision and the complex merger;

- Simultaneous execution and synchronization of several steps with logical AND.

In a second implementation of the invention, the system 200 also comprises a notification device 21 1 operatively coupled to the step execution engine 208 and the visual display device 209. The notification device 21 is configured to notify at least one operator of the system 200, information associated with at least one step. Of course, the notification can be made to a group of people rather than just one. For example, the notification device 21 1 can be connected to an electronic mail system and / or an SMS server to which the operator is subscribed. Thus, for example, the notification device 21 1 can notify the operator of the list of manual steps he is responsible for with the associated information. The notification device 21 1 is also configured to propose to the operator, via the visual display device 209, to give a response to the notification. For example, the response may be a validation as requested in the example of step "(3) Validation of Maneuver Parameters by a Control Authority" described above as part of a satellite maneuver. north-south type. The answer can also be a cancellation of such a step. In this implementation of the invention, the step execution engine 208 is further configured to determine whether a passing rule is observed based on at least the response of the operator to the notification. Through this mechanism, it is possible to include humans in an automated global system. Thus, for example, in the context of the detection of one of several anomalies, it is possible to include in the system 200 a human activity, for which the operator is presented with all the possible results automatically so that it determines the correct anomaly. His response will be provided back to System 200, who will use it to continue his execution. This mechanism contrasts with that used in the prior art, in which it there was no representation of a decision process. Indeed, in the prior art, in case of anomaly, it was necessary to interrupt the execution of the system and possibly re-schedule new activities, thus canceling the automatic appearance of the system.

In general, the operator has a certain time to perform these steps. On the other hand, if he does not execute one (e.g. the operator has not validated his answer), the following steps will not be executed. But since it is not necessary to use the notion of time to represent the flow of steps, the size of the second graphical object associated with the second execution state of the step plan 206 has not you do not have to be dependent on how long it runs. With regard to activities in business plan 205, it is necessary that this be the case to give an indication to the operator of the state of completion of an activity. Thus, the visual display device 209 may be further configured to represent the size of the first graphic object according to a maximum duration of the associated steps. In collaboration with the activity execution engines 207 and steps 208, the visual display device 209 is also configured to calculate the execution time of an activity taking into consideration the worst case execution. For example, if an activity is associated with three consecutive steps E-1, E-2 and E-3 such that E-1 is expected to last a maximum of 1 hour, E-2 is expected to last a maximum of 2 hours and E -3 is expected to last up to 3 hours. When the step E-1 has completed its execution, a conditional branching makes it possible to execute step E-2 if condition C1 is observed and step E-3 if condition E-3 is observed. In this example, the worst execution case is therefore 4 hours (i.e. 1 hour of E-1 + 3 hours of E-3). Of course, it is possible to use automatic re-planning devices that allow you to approach the execution of an activity subsequent to the one being executed if the one being executed ends earlier than expected.

Referring to FIGs. 5-6, the visual display 209 is further configured to represent the first execution state within a first viewing window 220, the second execution state to the interior of a second viewing window 230. In the example of FIG. 5, the activities A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-4 are represented by a first graphic object 222 in the form of a rectangular bar, similar to those used in the Gantt type diagrams. The first graphic object 222 associated with the activity A-1 has a dark gray color graphic attribute. In this example, this color tells the operator that the activity is complete. The first graphic object 222 associated with the activity A-2 has a light gray color graphic attribute. In this example, this color tells the operator that the activity is running. The first graphical objects 222 associated with the activities A-3 and A-4 have a graphical attribute of a 45-degree black hatch pattern. In this example, this pattern tells the operator that the activity is pending execution. In the example of FIG. 6, it is represented the flow of tasks associated with the execution of the activity A-2 and which starts at D and ends at F. In FIG. 6, steps E-1, E-2, E-3.1 and E-3.2 are represented by a second graphic object 231 in the form of a rounded-corner rectangle, similar to those used in the flow diagrams (ie workflow in English). The first graphic objects 231 associated with steps E-1 and E-2 have a dark gray color graphic attribute. In this example, this color tells the operator that the step is complete. The second graphic object 231 associated with the step E-3.1 has a graphic attribute of color of light gray type. In this example, this color tells the operator that the step is running. The first graphic object 231 associated with the step E-3.2 has a graphical attribute of the type of the black hatch pattern at 45 degrees. In this example, this pattern tells the operator that the step is pending execution. In FIG. 6, a third symbol 232 is used to represent a conditional branch where the condition CX is evaluated. With the step flow representation, it is possible to include cyclical elements such as iteration loops. For example, the loop Iteration 233 makes it possible to represent the following iterative sequence if the condition CX is validated: {E-2 - E-3.1}.

In one implementation of the invention, the first viewing window 220 may be displayed by default and the second viewing window 230 may be displayed automatically in response to the start of a step type or following appearance of a runtime error. For example, by default, the operator only displays the viewing window 220 where activity A-2 is indicated as being running. Then, when the first step E-1 is executed, the second viewing window 230 can be automatically displayed.

In another implementation, the visual display device 209 further comprises a pointing device and the second viewing window 230 is displayed in response to a signal from the pointing device following the selection of a first graphic object. in the first viewing window 220. For example, by default the operator only displays the viewing window 220 where the activity A-2 is indicated as being running. Then, if the user uses a mouse or a graphics tablet connected to the system 200, when the latter clicks on the first graphical object representing the activity A-2, then the second viewing window 230 is displayed.

In another aspect of the invention the system 200 is also configured to implement a method illustrated by all the steps described in FIG. 7 and which allows the visualization of a business plan over time, the business plan being associated with the supervision of a device, such as a satellite. Referring to FIG. 7, in S300, we first obtain a business plan and a plan of steps according to the invention. In S310 then S320, the business plan and the associated step plan are executed. Finally, in S330 we display the business plan and the plan of steps, according to the invention.

In one aspect of the invention, the method of displaying a business plan over time according to the invention can be implemented by code instructions of a computer program. In another aspect of the invention, the method of displaying a business plan over time according to the invention can be stored on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium in the form of a computer. computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer or a processor.

It is specified that the order of the steps of the processes, object of the invention, can be modified according to the needs.

The examples disclosed above and the particular embodiments shown in the figures should be understood as an illustration of the principles of the present invention, and should not be construed as a limitation of its purpose, the scope of which is solely defined by the appended claims.

For example, the execution engines of activities and steps have been presented as being separate elements, but can be fully understood from the same device.

Also, the invention has been presented as being able to be implemented in a satellite control center for the supervision of satellites, but it goes without saying that the invention can also be implemented in the supervision center of any system. industrial including devices (eg production of electricity, control of a device in a factory ...).

Claims

A device supervisory system (200) comprising viewing an activity plan (205), the activity plan being associated with the device supervision, the system characterized by comprising:

a scheduler (204) configured to obtain the activity plan and a step plan (206) from at least one activity (201) and a time constraint (203), the activity plan being associated with the plan of steps;

an activity execution engine (207) configured to execute at least one activity of the activity plan;

a step execution engine (208) operatively coupled to the activity execution engine, and configured to sequentially execute the steps associated with a running activity, passing a step another being conditioned by at least one predefined, non-time-based pass rule; and,

a visual display device (209) operatively coupled to the activity execution engine and the step execution engine;

the supervision system being configured to:

developing first display data relating to a first execution state associated with the activity plan, in the form of an acyclic oriented graph, as a function of time, in which an activity is represented in the form of a first graphic object (222); and,

- developing second display data relating to a second execution state associated with the step plane, in the form of a step flow diagram, wherein a step is represented by a second graphical object (231) ;

the development of the first and second display data being coordinated;

the visual display device being configured for:

- display the first and second execution states;

the display of the first execution state being associated with the display of the second execution state according to said coordination between the respective elaborations of the first and second display data. System according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises:

an event detection device (209) operably coupled to the supervised device and the step execution engine, the event detection device configured to detect at least one event associated with the supervised device, and based on at least one detected event, the execution engine is further configured to execute at least one step associated with the detected event.

System according to claim 2, characterized in that the event detection device is additionally operably coupled to the scheduler, and based on at least one detected event:

- The scheduler is further configured to schedule the execution of at least one activity associated with the detected event.

The system of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the step execution engine is further configured to determine whether a passing rule is observed based on at least one logic element and / or a detected event.

System according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it further comprises:

a notification device (21 1) operatively coupled to the step execution engine and the visual display device, the notification device configured to:

- offer the operator, via the visual display device, to give a response to the notification;

the step execution engine being further configured to determine whether a passing rule is observed based on at least the response of the operator.

System according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the visual display device is further configured to represent the first execution state within a first viewing window (220), the second state of execution within a second viewing window (230), the second viewing window being automatically displayed in response when starting a step type or following the occurrence of a runtime error.

7. System according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the visual display device comprises a pointing device, the visual display device being further configured to represent the first execution state inside the device. a first viewing window (220), the second execution state within a second viewing window (230), the second viewing window being displayed in response to a signal from the pointing device following the selecting a second graphic object in the first viewing window.

8. System according to claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the visual display device is further configured to represent the size of the first graphic object according to a maximum duration of the associated steps.

9. System according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the system is further configured to coordinate the development of the first and second display data so that the display device associates with the first and second graphic object. , the same indicative graphic attribute of the second execution state such as a color, a pattern or a symbol.

10. System according to claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the device under supervision is a satellite.

A method of supervising a device comprising the visualization of an activity plan, the activity plan being associated with the supervision of the device, the method being characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

- obtain (S300) the business plan and a plan of steps from at least one activity and a time constraint, the business plan being associated with the step plan;

- execute (S310) at least one activity of the business plan;

- executing (S320) sequentially the steps associated with a running activity, the transition from one step to another being conditioned by at least one predefined passage rule, not based on time;

developing first display data relating to a first execution state associated with the activity plan, in the form of an acyclic oriented graph, as a function of time, in which an activity is represented under the shape of a first graphic object;

- Developing second display data relating to a second execution state associated with the step plan, in the form of a step flow diagram, wherein a step is represented by a second graphical object; and,

- displaying (330) the first and second execution states;

the development of the first and second display data being coordinated; and,

the display of the first execution status being associated with the display of the second execution status.

Method according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of:

detecting at least one event associated with the device under supervision, and based on at least one detected event, performing at least one step associated with the detected event and / or scheduling the execution of at least one activity associated with the detected event; the detected event.

Method according to claim 12, characterized in that it further comprises the step of:

- evaluate whether a passing rule is observed based on at least one logic element and / or a detected event.

Method according to claims 1-13, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of:

notifying at least one operator of a system comprising the supervision of the device, information associated with at least one step; and,

- propose to the operator to give an answer to the notification;

- evaluate whether a rule of passage is observed based on at least the response of the operator.

Process according to claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it further comprises the step of:

- Coordinate the development of the first and second display data so that is associated with the first and second graphic object, the same graphical attribute indicative of the second execution state such as a color, a pattern or a symbol.

16. Computer program product, characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for the implementation of a method according to at least one of claims 1 1 to 15, when the program is executed on a computer.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium characterized in that it stores a computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer or a processor for implementing a method according to at least one of the claims. 1-16.